The Karachi city police on Sunday used all the means to prevent Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal from holding a 'Peace Rally'. Almost total strength of the police force was utilised in addition to latest equipment to do the job.
In this connection, the law enforcement agencies arrested hundreds of MMA activists including the top local leadership.
The law enforcers in some areas freely used teargas and baton charged on different small groups of MMA workers, who were heading towards the location of the announced rally.
At least 400 MMA activists have been arrested after using tear gas and baton charge in order to stop the scheduled march.
The MMA parliamentary leader in Sindh Assembly Maulana Umar Sadiq, MNA Asadullah Bhutto, city chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, MPA Nasrullah Shajee and a large numbers of activists were beaten and arrested by the police near Radio Pakistan Building at M A Jinnah Road. Police used tear gas at Tibet Centre and Saeed Manzil to control the mob.
According to police, about 90 people were arrested for assembling in defiance to an imposed law, for chanting slogans and having intentions to harm public and private properties.
On the other hand, the administration in order to stop the peace rally placed containers and trucks to block the arteries including M. A. Jinnah Road, Business Recorder Road, Lasbela, Numaish crossing, Keamari, Tower and Jail Road.
The police resorted to baton charge and used tear gas to disperse the small groups of MMA activists heading towards Numaish crossing to participate in the scheduled march.
The Sindh government had banned the top MMA leadership to take part in the rally and deployed heavy contingents of police at various sensitive locations to avert and prevent any gathering, which would create law and order situation.